


Propriety

by wreathed



Series: The Hamiltons’ Carriage [1]
Category: Black Sails
Genre: F/M, Ficlet, London, Missing Scene, Pre-Series
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-09
Updated: 2018-08-09
Packaged: 2019-06-24 13:19:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 445
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15631482
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wreathed/pseuds/wreathed
Summary: Immediately after James and Miranda’s carriage scene has reached its assumed conclusion.





	Propriety

Barely after they have finished and decoupled, the carriage stops outside the Hamiltons’ townhouse. James dearly hopes that the timing on the part of the carriage driver is a complete coincidence.

“No Egyptian collection for me today, then?” Lady Hamilton sighs with a sly smile as she smooths down her skirts. A curl has loosened from her dressed hair, and a slight flush still covers her cheeks, but apart from that she looks just the same. James may not have upended her whole world as much as he had feared.

“You should attend with your husband,” James replies, mind still reeling. He has only just made himself decent. Her _husband_ , his somewhat-friend, whose trust in him he has just disgracefully defiled, although James can’t shake the feeling that it wouldn’t quite be seen that way.

“Please stop by again soon, Lieutenant. You needn’t write ahead – whichever one of us is in, I’m sure either of us can find something interesting with which to occupy your time.”

James’s mouth goes dry.

“Whether working on my husband’s proposal to Lord Alfred Hamilton or providing me with your company. What we have just done,” Lady Hamilton says, as if James is not blinking up at her, dazed. “As long as behind closed doors…”

“Propriety,” James responds in the tone just as she had used, fifteen minutes earlier, before _his_ whole world had been upended, and goes to open the carriage door.

Lady Hamilton stops the motion with a hand on his arm. James notes that her gloves are now back on – her soft, confident touch once again properly enclosed away.

“I’m glad at least one man I know well is mindful of the management of perception, and how that can differ from actual behaviour. Not to mention how society’s current idea of morality is relevant but not absolute,” she says with a raise of her eyebrows.

“What do you mean?” James asks, aware of the way he swallows tightly.

“I am somewhat discreet, yet there are many rumours about me. I am wealthy enough that it is not necessary to alter my behaviour, but in the eyes of society it would be preferable,” she replies, looking thoughtful. “This is all self-evident. Yet Thomas is so convinced if the true purity and good of all sorts of different kinds of love were explained well enough, all would be well in the world. Good morning, Lieutenant.” 

She does leave the carriage then, James left alone but still surrounded by the smell of her, and as he journeys back to his boarding house his thoughts flit between their frenzied coition and her parting words to him for a long while afterwards.


End file.
